Astonishing figures have emerged in the press today after yesterday’s Bavaria Yachts buyout announcement.

According to the Financial Times, Bain Capital, a private equity company, paid as much as ?1.3 billion (US$1.8 billion, £896 million) for the German sailboat and motorboat manufacturer, Bavaria.

This sum is equal to five times Bavaria’s revenue of ?271 million (US$365million, £182million) for the year ended July 2006.

IBI news called the deal ‘eyewatering’ and reported that a several-month bidding process had initially attracted interest from other companies in the marine industry, but that the pressure from private equity firms would make the deal ‘far too rich to stomach for trade buyers.’